PoetryIntermediate
Meter
A patterned arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables.
Principle
Meter gives rhythm a system the poem can fulfil or disturb.
Takeaways
- It creates expectation through recurring stress patterns.
- Variation against meter can carry expressive force.
- Meter is heard, not merely counted.
Overview
Meter is the patterned rhythm of verse, traditionally described through feet and line lengths. Its value lies not in mechanical counting but in the tension between pattern and living speech.
Examples
- A regular line breaks pattern at the word death.
- A comic poem uses heavy meter to make trivial complaints grand.